Review: 1997 Santa Clara International Invitational

Alexander Popov won three events: the 50m and 100m freestyle and the 100m backstroke. The 100m freestyle, however, was much closer than Popov would have liked. He touched out Michael Klim, his teammate from the Australian Institute of Sport, 50.30 to 50.36.

Jenny Thompson held off Amy Van Dyken in the 50m free, 25.59 to 25.81, breaking Van Dyken’s old meet record by .08 seconds. The close race may have taken something out of Thompson, who — one race later — went for her fifth win of the four-day event. This time, Thompson was denied, finishing second in the 200m IM to Jennifer Parmenter of Rose Bowl Aquatics.

In the women’s 200 butterfly, Australia’s Susan O’Neill buried the field, overwhelming second- place finisher Jessica Deglau of Canada by more than four seconds.

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